As a first-generation student and a woman of color that is majoring in Information Technology, Computer Science, and Mathematics, I am committed to addressing the pressing social issue of the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to modern technology and the skills to use it, and those who do not. This divide perpetuates educational, economic, and social inequalities, particularly among underrepresented and low-income communities. Recognizing the transformative power of technology, I have used my knowledge and skills to help bridge this gap in meaningful ways. One significant initiative I undertook was launching a free coding workshop series at my local community center. I designed and taught beginner-level programming and digital literacy classes for students from underserved schools. Most of these students had never written a line of code or had regular access to computers. By making the curriculum direct and accessible, I empowered participants to see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of technology. The excitement and confidence my students displayed after building their first simple app or website was incredibly rewarding and have since expressed interest in pursuing STEM fields. In addition to direct teaching, I have volunteered as a technical mentor for a non-profit organization that provides refurbished computers to families in need. I help set up devices, install open-source educational software, and provide basic training on safe and effective computer use. This work not only equips families with essential tools but also demystifies technology, making it less intimidating and more approachable. Understanding that access alone is not enough, I have also advocated for computer science education in local schools. I met with school administrators to discuss integrating coding and computational thinking into the standard curriculum, emphasizing how these skills are critical for future success in any field. My background in mathematics allowed me to illustrate the problem-solving and logical reasoning benefits that computer science brings to students’ overall academic development. Being through these experiences firsthand while maintaining my educational and professional careers in the STEM field, I have learned that addressing the digital divide requires both direct support and broader advocacy. As I continue my studies, I plan to leverage my technical expertise to develop scalable solutions—such as open-source educational platforms—and to mentor others interested in technology. By sharing my passion for Information Technology, Computer Science, and Mathematics, I hope to empower individuals and communities to thrive in our increasingly digital world globally and digitally.

I have an fascinating love for mathematics because math is the essential to all creations and without math, the world would not be able to understand the concepts of math and not be able to make creations. Math is needed in everyday life in any profession worldwide and the qualities within math include creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills. Math makes our lives easier as this can help people into critical thinking in everyday problems, open-minded attitude, and clear development in academics. This shows that math helps us analyze, recognize, and find logical solutions within a professional, academic, and personal setting. Math is an powerful analytical framework that helps us to understand the concepts of calculus, stats, and finances. In addition, math helps us to measure calculations within distance and time as in STEM, math is heavily influenced upon engineering, science, and computer science as math is the model upon algorithm developments, scientific discoveries, and technology advancements. Math is something I've been talented in and the inspiration of being talented within computer science, helped me to pursue an degree in STEM and go to college to work in STEM careers internationally to also give back to my community and using mentorships is the reason I love math.

For me, I believe that calculus is important in the STEM field because calculus is an fundamental course within the STEM field as it is very important and essential for modeling many dynamic systems, establishing and enabling innovation of science, computer science, physics, and even engineering, and analyzing the rates of changes going on globally. For students, calculus acts as critical and challenging to building and bridging a foundation mathematics within machine learning lessons, physical/digital simulations, and also data analysis. In academic settings, calculus prioritizes the knowledge upon the process and the concept as well as pushing students into the STEM field because they may have the opportunity to discover their understanding beyond the normal procedural fluency within their academic careers. Physics is the main focus upon motion, energy, force, and electricity as the Laws of Motion are expressed by using calculus for every formula as derivatives are use to measure. If calculus was not applied, it would not be able to understand the Laws of motion for us to calculate the velocity, distance, acceleration, and time. Engineering relies on calculus as calculus plays a significant huge role in the concepts of engineering. Civil engineers who design buildings that can withstand forces as earthquakes and winds by using calculus. If calculus was not applied in engineering, it would be impossible to predict the motion or design many effective energy systems. Chemistry and Biology studies the rate of reactions, population dynamics, and concentration/climate changes. If calculus was not applied, this would be difficult to calculate and the understanding of rate reactions, limited technology information, and the unpredicting simplified calculations on complex equations. Computer science focuses on coding languages that involve Python, C++/C#, SQL, HTML, CSS, Java/JavaScript, Git, etc., and calculus is the main concept that helps within understanding data modeling, computer vision, and signal processing. This gives calculus the opportunity to be essential within image processing and artificial intelligence. Without calculus, this would be difficult to write computer languages and understanding the concepts within technology. Another reason calculus is important in the STEM field is the idea concept upon limits as limits fully explains what happens to an function as this approaches an specific value and this provides the concepts differential and integral as differential studies rates of change, meanwhile integral studies accumulation and total values. Both concepts in calculus are the foundation of experimental and essential scientific discoveries and technological advancements as calculus plays a significant role in that foundation, which is why calculus is important in the STEM field.

My experience within mental health shaped my goals, relationships, and understanding of the world by various ways. Mental health shaped my goals by giving me a much deeper sense of clarity about how my mindset can directly affect my ability to achieve my goals. There were times when challenges within my mental state made it harder to stay motivated or focused, but looking back in those moments also taught me the importance of self-awareness, balance, and persistence. Mental health shaped my relationships upon how my emotions can shift and how it is very important to have open communication and to be very understanding on how I feel as a person. I firsthand experienced some relationships can be affected by internal struggles, sometimes causing distance, negativity, or misunderstandings. At the same time, these experiences have helped me become more empathetic and patient with other individuals who are battling the same issues I am facing. Mental health shaped my understanding of the world more than others as times where I had experiences have helped me see life from multiple perspectives and appreciate the highs and lows that come with it. Instead of viewing challenges as purely negative, I now see them as opportunities to learn and grow.

I chose to pursue in a career in STEM, specifically within Computer Science and Information Technology, because it represents more than an ordinary career path, it is a major opportunity to break generational barriers for women of color to pursue STEM career paths to grow within their professional, academic, and educational goals. To me, being a STEM major helps me advocate for women of color, first-generation, and low income students who's dream is to go to college and graduate from a STEM field and pursue a professional career within internships, scholarships, and international networking. I met with school administrators to discuss integrating coding and computational thinking into the standard curriculum, emphasizing how these skills are critical for future success in any field. There is a major public divide of lack of women of color in the STEM field and this divide perpetuates educational, economic, and social inequalities, particularly among underrepresented and low-income communities. Recognizing the transformative power of technology, I have used my knowledge and skills to help bridge this gap in meaningful ways. As a first generation and African-American woman that is currently pursuing a career in STEM, I will use my degree to give back to my community by helping providing resources, education, and mentorship to underserved populations. Whether it is through teaching basic computer skills, developing accessible applications, or supporting community programs, I want to use my skills to empower others. From personal experience, entering a field where there are individuals who look like me are severely underrepresented gives me the chance to challenge stereotypes and show that success in STEM is achievable for everyone, regardless of any background. In addition to direct teaching, I have volunteered as a technical mentor for a non-profit organization that provides refurbished computers to families in need. During my early educational and professional careers, I help set up devices, install open-source educational software, and provide basic training on safe and effective computer use. This work not only equips families with essential tools but also demystifies technology, making it less intimidating and more approachable. Throughout these experiences, I have learned that addressing the digital divide requires both direct support and broader advocacy. As I continue my studies, I plan to leverage my technical expertise to develop scalable solutions—such as open-source educational platforms—and to mentor others interested in technology. By sharing my passion for a career in STEM, I hope to empower individuals and communities to thrive in our increasingly digital world.

STEM has taught me to think like both a creator and a protector — understanding how systems function while imagining how they might fail. This mindset encourages initiative-taking thinking and responsible innovation. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact as a person of color by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility and technical knowledge, I hope to design solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer, more connected future. Being in a STEM program is analyzing common security weaknesses, experimenting with code in controlled environments, and learning how small oversights in programming can lead to serious breaches. This firsthand exploration strengthened my coding skills while sharpening my ability to think critically, expecting risks, and developing preventative solutions. I became especially interested in how secure design principles can be built into software from the start rather than added later as a tool for knowledge. As an African American woman, I see math to teach others worldwide about the STEM field and helping people getting into that field to go to college and get a good education. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility and technical knowledge, I hope to design solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer, more connected future.

In a world increasingly driven by technology, there are ways we can preserve, strengthen, and/or reimagine authentic human connection by problem solving that is rooted in curiosity and persistence. I personally enjoy breaking complex problems into smaller parts, testing solutions, and learning from failure. STEM has taught me to think like both a creator and a protector — understanding how systems function while imagining how they might fail. This mindset encourages initiative-taking thinking and responsible innovation. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact as a person of color by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust. One way we can preserve authentic human connection is by designing technology that encourages collaboration and meaningful interaction. Many digital platforms focus on speed, automation, and efficiency, but they sometimes overlook the importance of empathy and genuine communication. Developers and engineers have the opportunity to create systems that support teamwork, thoughtful conversations, and shared problem-solving. For example, tools that help people work together across cultures and distances can strengthen understanding and cooperation rather than creating separation. Another important approach is using technology to make education and opportunity more accessible. For students from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds, digital tools can open doors to knowledge, mentorship, and global experiences that might otherwise be unreachable. Online learning platforms, open-source communities, and collaborative coding environments allow people from different parts of the world to connect, learn from each other, and build meaningful relationships based on shared goals. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility and technical knowledge, I hope to design solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer, more connected future. Being in a STEM program is analyzing common security weaknesses, experimenting with code in controlled environments, and learning how small oversights in programming can lead to serious breaches. This firsthand exploration strengthened my coding skills while sharpening my ability to think critically, expecting risks, and developing preventative solutions. I became especially interested in how secure design principles can be built into software from the start rather than added later as a tool for knowledge. During this experience, I explored ethical hacking techniques and secure coding practices to better understand how systems can be protected from cyber threats. Rather than viewing hacking as destructive, I approached it as a problem-solving discipline focused on finding vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. One day, I hope to contribute to creating technologies that bring people together, empower communities, and preserve the human connections that define who we are.

Growing up with limited financial resources has required me to be resourceful, resilient, and hopeful in ways that shaped for who I am today. As a first-generation African American woman pursuing higher education in the STEM field, I have often had to navigate challenges without the guidance or financial stability students often take for granted. Instead of letting those barriers stop me, I learned to adapt, solve problems, and keep moving forward even when circumstances were difficult. One example of this resilience has been my journey through school while balancing financial challenges and limited resources. I rely on public transportation to get to classes, which requires careful planning because the bus system stops running early in the evening. This means I must structure my schedule and responsibilities around that limitation while still maintaining strong academic performance. Situations like this have taught me how to plan, manage my time efficiently, and stay committed to my long-term goals even when the path is not easy. Academically, I have focused my studies on information technology, computer science, and mathematics because I believe technology can open doors not only for my own future but also for my community. Learning programming languages and technical skills has allowed me to think critically, solve complex problems, and understand how technology connects the world. I am especially interested in how global perspectives influence innovation in technology, which is one of the main reasons I am enthusiastic and passionate about studying abroad. Studying abroad would help me move from simply surviving difficult circumstances to creating a life that truly feels like my own. Traveling to another country to study would give me the opportunity to experience diverse cultures, educational systems, and technological approaches. I am particularly interested in studying in East Asian countries or in the Caribbean, regions that are known for rapid technological development, unique cultural perspectives, and growing opportunities in the tech industry. Experiencing these environments firsthand would allow me to learn new ways of thinking about technology, collaboration, and problem-solving. At this point in the process, I am actively researching study abroad opportunities and identifying programs that align with my academic focus in IT, computer science, and mathematics. Because my financial resources are limited, I am also searching for scholarships and funding opportunities that could make studying abroad possible for me. Programs that support students from underrepresented backgrounds are especially meaningful because they help remove financial barriers that might otherwise prevent students like me from accessing global education.

I have been impacted by mental health has been emotionally draining and uplifting. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to my late mother that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship and continuing my journey. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. While I never had any substance abuse issues, my mental health issues is something I am managing as I am in college and working at the same time. Being in the STEM field, I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. With that foundation, I can prioritize my mental health, stay consistent in my classes, and continue working toward my educational goals. Access to something as basic as daily motivations may seem small, but for someone navigating mental health challenges while pursuing a degree, it makes a meaningful difference in my ability to succeed. Navigating between my education, work, and personal life is not an easy task as I have to make sure that I get everything in order as well as making sure my mental health is stable and on track and that can take days, weeks, months, even years to be exact for me mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

My experiences with my mental health has been emotionally draining and uplifting. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to my late mother that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship. Dealing with my mental health has also helped me attend college and exploring opportunities within my educational and personal career. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. While I never had any substance abuse issues, my mental health issues is something I am managing as I am in college and working at the same time. Being in the STEM field, I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. With that foundation, I can prioritize my mental health, stay consistent in my classes, and continue working toward my educational goals. Access to something as basic as daily motivations may seem small, but for someone navigating mental health challenges while pursuing a degree, it makes a meaningful difference in my ability to succeed.

My computer science goals is a significant initiative I undertook was launching a free coding workshop series at my local community center. I designed and taught beginner-level programming and digital literacy classes for students from underserved schools. Most of these students had never written a line of code or had regular access to computers. By making the curriculum direct and accessible, I empowered participants to see themselves as creators, not just consumers, of technology. The excitement and confidence my students displayed after building their first simple app or website was incredibly rewarding and have since expressed interest in pursuing STEM fields. In addition to direct teaching, I have volunteered as a technical mentor for a non-profit organization that provides refurbished computers to families in need. I help set up devices, install open-source educational software, and provide basic training on safe and effective computer use. This work not only equips families with essential tools but also demystifies technology, making it less intimidating and more approachable. Understanding that access alone is not enough, I have also advocated for computer science education in local schools. I met with school administrators to discuss integrating coding and computational thinking into the standard curriculum, emphasizing how these skills are critical for future success in any field. My background in mathematics allowed me to illustrate the problem-solving and logical reasoning benefits that computer science brings to students’ overall academic development. Through these experiences, I have learned that addressing the digital divide requires both direct support and broader advocacy. As a first-generation student and a woman of color that is majoring in Information Technology, Computer Science, and Mathematics, I am committed to addressing the pressing social issue of the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to modern technology and the skills to use it, and those who do not. This divide perpetuates educational, economic, and social inequalities, particularly among underrepresented and low-income communities. Recognizing the transformative power of technology, I have used my knowledge and skills to help bridge this gap in meaningful ways. As I continue my studies, I plan to leverage my technical expertise to develop scalable solutions—such as open-source educational platforms—and to mentor others interested in technology. Beyond academics, I am deeply committed to giving back. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me.

My college or post-secondary education allow me to be given to others education by choosing to major in Mathematics. College or post-secondary education offers invaluable opportunities for individuals to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to be of service to others. Through a combination of specialized education, critical thinking, community engagement, leadership development, and networking, college graduates are equipped to make meaningful contributions and positively influence society. As they embrace their roles as responsible global citizens, educated individuals can actively work towards creating a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world for all. The reason is because mathematics seems like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. This Mathematics program motivates me to take this program because I believe that my intended major is mathematics & Information Technology and the reason for that is that mathematics is very worldwide in different aspects. Beyond academics, I am deeply committed to giving back. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me. By developing innovative and sustainable solutions, college graduates can actively participate in initiatives that address poverty, inequality, environmental concerns, healthcare access, and other pressing challenges. Community Engagement and Volunteering Opportunities because most colleges and/or universities provide a large of community engagement and volunteering opportunities. This is through by service-learning programs, internships, and community partnerships, students can apply their knowledge in real-world settings that everyone needs to have in order to survive in this world and for me to help service others in the present and for the future it holds. As an African American woman, I see math to teach others worldwide about the STEM field and helping people getting into that field to go to college and get a good education. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. This program motivates me to take this program because I believe that my intended major is mathematics & Information Technology and the reason for that is that mathematics is very worldwide in different aspects. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. Another reason is that there is college education exposes students to diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas. Through interdisciplinary studies, exposure to various subjects, and interactions with a diverse community, students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. This expanded worldview allows individuals to recognize societal issues, appreciate cultural differences, and become more empathetic and compassionate in their approach to serving others. As a first-generation African American woman pursuing a degree in STEM, I carry more than just textbooks and a laptop into every classroom, I carry my family’s hopes, sacrifices, and resilience. I am currently studying cybersecurity and computer science, fields that challenge me intellectually and push me to think critically every day. What makes me unique is not only my passion for technology, but the perspective I bring into spaces where women who look like me are often underrepresented. During my childhood, I noticed that I never saw people in tech who shared my background as it is rare nowadays. Instead of discouraging me, that reality fueled my determination. I became fluent in multiple programming languages and developed confidence in my ability to solve complex problems. Whether I am writing code, analyzing vulnerabilities, or designing secure systems, I approach every task with focus and curiosity. I genuinely enjoy understanding how systems work and how they can be protected from threats. Cybersecurity, to me, is more than a career path—it is a way to safeguard information, protect communities, and contribute to a safer digital world. Through these experiences, I have learned that addressing the digital divide requires both direct support and broader advocacy. As I continue my studies, I plan to leverage my technical expertise to develop scalable solutions—such as open-source educational platforms—and to mentor others interested in technology.

As a first-generation African American woman pursuing a degree in STEM, I carry more than just textbooks and a laptop into every classroom, I carry my family’s hopes, sacrifices, and resilience. I am currently studying cybersecurity and computer science, fields that challenge me intellectually and push me to think critically every day. What makes me unique is not only my passion for technology, but the perspective I bring into spaces where women who look like me are often underrepresented. During my childhood, I noticed that I never saw people in tech who shared my background as it is rare nowadays. Instead of discouraging me, that reality fueled my determination. I became fluent in multiple programming languages and developed confidence in my ability to solve complex problems. Whether I am writing code, analyzing vulnerabilities, or designing secure systems, I approach every task with focus and curiosity. I genuinely enjoy understanding how systems work and how they can be protected from threats. Cybersecurity, to me, is more than a career path—it is a way to safeguard information, protect communities, and contribute to a safer digital world. Beyond academics, I am deeply committed to giving back. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. Receiving this scholarship would significantly ease the financial burden of tuition, textbooks, software tools, and certification exams related to cybersecurity. These funds would allow me to focus more fully on my studies and professional development rather than worrying about how to cover expenses. I also plan to invest in additional training and industry certifications that will strengthen my skills and increase my career opportunities. This scholarship is not just financial support—it is an investment in a future leader in technology. I am determined to use my education to open doors for others, strengthen digital security, and prove that determination, talent, and perseverance can break barriers.

My alternative identity and presentation shaped my journey in the STEM field by using math to teach others worldwide about the STEM field and helping people getting into that field to go to college and get a good education. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. While I never had any challenges being alternative, I seen firsthand how it can be difficult for people to accept you for who you are while being a computer genius. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me. Applying for this scholarship would significantly ease the financial burden of tuition, textbooks, software tools, and certification exams related to cybersecurity. These funds would allow me to focus more fully on my studies and professional development rather than worrying about how to cover expenses. I also plan to invest in additional training and industry certifications that will strengthen my skills and increase my career opportunities. This scholarship is not just financial support—it is an investment in a future leader in technology. I am determined to use my education to open doors for others, strengthen digital security, and prove that determination, talent, and perseverance can break barriers. One of the greatest challenges I overcame was learning to believe in myself when circumstances assessed my confidence. Instead of giving up, I leaned into prayer, sought wisdom, and committed myself to working diligently while trusting God and the Lord with the results. That mindset transformed obstacles into opportunities for growth. Each small victory has improved my grades, learning new skills, supporting responsibilities overseen with integrity became a testament to perseverance fueled by faith. Success, for me, has not only been about achievements, but about becoming stronger, more disciplined, and more compassionate through every trial and while being alternative.

As a first-generation African American woman pursuing a degree in STEM, I carry more than just textbooks and a laptop into every classroom, I carry my family’s hopes, sacrifices, and resilience. I am currently studying cybersecurity and computer science, fields that challenge me intellectually and push me to think critically every day. What makes me unique is not only my passion for technology, but the perspective I bring into spaces where women who look like me are often underrepresented. During my childhood, I noticed that I never saw people in tech who shared my background as it is rare nowadays. Instead of discouraging me, that reality fueled my determination. I became fluent in multiple programming languages and developed confidence in my ability to solve complex problems. Whether I am writing code, analyzing vulnerabilities, or designing secure systems, I approach every task with focus and curiosity. I genuinely enjoy understanding how systems work and how they can be protected from threats. Cybersecurity, to me, is more than a career path—it is a way to safeguard information, protect communities, and contribute to a safer digital world. Beyond academics, I am deeply committed to giving back. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me. I see the STEM field to teach others worldwide about the STEM field and helping people getting into that field to go to college and get a good education. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. Receiving this scholarship would significantly ease the financial burden of tuition, textbooks, software tools, and certification exams related to cybersecurity. These funds would allow me to focus more fully on my studies and professional development rather than worrying about how to cover expenses. I also plan to invest in additional training and industry certifications that will strengthen my skills and increase my career opportunities. This scholarship is not just financial support—it is an investment in a future leader in technology. I am determined to use my education to open doors for others, strengthen digital security, and prove that determination, talent, and perseverance can break barriers.

As a first-generation African American woman pursuing a degree in STEM, I carry more than just textbooks and a laptop into every classroom, I carry my family’s hopes, sacrifices, and resilience. I am currently studying cybersecurity and computer science, fields that challenge me intellectually and push me to think critically every day. What makes me unique is not only my passion for technology, but the perspective I bring into spaces where women who look like me are often underrepresented. During my childhood, I noticed that I never saw people in tech who shared my background as it is rare nowadays. Instead of discouraging me, that reality fueled my determination. I became fluent in multiple programming languages and developed confidence in my ability to solve complex problems. Whether I am writing code, analyzing vulnerabilities, or designing secure systems, I approach every task with focus and curiosity. I genuinely enjoy understanding how systems work and how they can be protected from threats. Cybersecurity, to me, is more than a career path—it is a way to safeguard information, protect communities, and contribute to a safer digital world. Beyond academics, I am deeply committed to giving back. Being the first in my family to attend college has shaped my sense of responsibility. I want younger students, especially young Black girls, to see that careers in technology are possible for them. I hope to mentor, volunteer, and eventually create programs that introduce cybersecurity and coding to underserved communities. Representation matters, and I want to be someone who makes the path clearer for those coming after me. Receiving this scholarship would significantly ease the financial burden of tuition, textbooks, software tools, and certification exams related to cybersecurity. These funds would allow me to focus more fully on my studies and professional development rather than worrying about how to cover expenses. I also plan to invest in additional training and industry certifications that will strengthen my skills and increase my career opportunities. This scholarship is not just financial support—it is an investment in a future leader in technology. I am determined to use my education to open doors for others, strengthen digital security, and prove that determination, talent, and perseverance can break barriers. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust.

When I was 12 years old, my late mother passed away from heart disease in 2015 and this experience of losing a parent at a young age made me not only mature early but opened my eyes to the real world during this time. When you're a kid, you have a good childhood, going to school, and enjoy being a kid before you reach adulthood. For me, I had the opposite as I had to learn what death was at an early age and witness it with my own two eyes, explain to people why I can't visit my mother, and had my childhood taken away from me at an early age. Most people who never went through that kind of trauma and grief at that age and it's a foreign concept to them but the ones who went through that during childhood will understand, feel, and know my pain as I know their pain of losing someone at a young age. This made me realize at an early age that not only will my mother never attend my high school and college graduations, weddings, celebrations, but she will never be able to meet my future spouse, my future children, and her grandchildren because she is gone. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to her that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship. I wish my mother was here to see how far I've come but at the same time, I know she is proud of me and I know she would've been proud of me as she is looking over me while she's at peace.

My college or post-secondary education allow me to be given to others education by choosing to major in Mathematics. College or post-secondary education offers invaluable opportunities for individuals to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to be of service to others. Through a combination of specialized education, critical thinking, community engagement, leadership development, and networking, college graduates are equipped to make meaningful contributions and positively influence society. As they embrace their roles as responsible global citizens, educated individuals can actively work towards creating a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world for all. The reason is because mathematics seems like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. This Mathematics program motivates me to take this program because I believe that my intended major is mathematics & Information Technology and the reason for that is that mathematics is very worldwide in different aspects. By developing innovative and sustainable solutions, college graduates can actively participate in initiatives that address poverty, inequality, environmental concerns, healthcare access, and other pressing challenges. Community Engagement and Volunteering Opportunities because most colleges and/or universities provide a large of community engagement and volunteering opportunities. This is through by service-learning programs, internships, and community partnerships, students can apply their knowledge in real-world settings that everyone needs to have in order to survive in this world and for me to help service others in the present and for the future it holds. As an African American woman, I see math to teach others worldwide about the STEM field and helping people getting into that field to go to college and get a good education. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. like a good program to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. This program motivates me to take this program because I believe that my intended major is mathematics & Information Technology and the reason for that is that mathematics is very worldwide in different aspects. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. Another reason is that there is college education exposes students to diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas. Through interdisciplinary studies, exposure to various subjects, and interactions with a diverse community, students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. This expanded worldview allows individuals to recognize societal issues, appreciate cultural differences, and become more empathetic and compassionate in their approach to serving others. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility and technical knowledge, I hope to design solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer, more connected future. This scholarship has motivated me into being an active participant in building spaces where STEM students feel supported, celebrated, and empowered to succeed academically and personally. The STEM field has offered me many unique and transformative experiences that encompass personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. If I were to receive this scholarship has not only strengthened my commitment to study hard My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. Being in the STEM field, I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future.

This opportunity for me is a deeply meaningful to me because it stands for more than personal advancement, it is growth, purpose, and the continuation of my journey that has been shaped by a personal connection with Jesus. My story is not one of ease or perfect circumstances, but one of perseverance, prayer, and trusting God even when the path ahead felt uncertain. There have been seasons in my life where I questioned whether I could reach my goals. Academic pressures, financial stress, and moments of self-doubt often felt overwhelming. At times, I felt behind compared to others or unsure of what direction to take. Yet through every setback, my Christian faith reminded me that my worth is not defined by temporary failures, but by God’s purpose for my life. Scripture became my anchor during difficult moments, especially the promise that all things would work together for good for those who love Him. When doors seemed closed, I learned to trust that God was redirecting me toward something better. One of the greatest challenges I overcame was learning to believe in myself when circumstances assessed my confidence. Instead of giving up, I leaned into prayer, sought wisdom, and committed myself to working diligently while trusting God and the Lord with the results. That mindset transformed obstacles into opportunities for growth. Each small victory has improved my grades, learning new skills, supporting responsibilities overseen with integrity became a testament to perseverance fueled by faith. Success, for me, has not only been about achievements, but about becoming stronger, more disciplined, and more compassionate through every trial. My faith has also shaped the way I define success. It is not solely about recognition or status, but about using my talents to serve others and reflect Christ’s character in everything I do. I strive to approach my education and career goals with integrity, humility, and excellence, knowing that my work is an offering to God. As I look toward the future, I plan to continue using my faith as my compass. I will seek God’s guidance in every decision, remain grounded in prayer, and trust His timing even when progress feels slow. With unwavering faith, I am confident that I can rise to even greater heights — not alone but strengthened by God who has carried me this far and helped me become the person I am today as I maintain a strong connection with him.

My experiences with my mental health has been emotionally draining and uplifting. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to my late mother that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship. Dealing with my mental health has also helped me attend college and exploring opportunities within my educational and personal career. My personal, academic, and professional goals are to travel across the world and collaborate with other businesses worldwide with internships and great connections after college. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. Studying abroad offers a unique and transformative experience that encompasses personal cultural immersion, higher academic growth, personal development, and expanded opportunities. While I never had any substance abuse issues, my mental health issues is something I am managing as I am in college and working at the same time. Being in the STEM field, I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. With that foundation, I can prioritize my mental health, stay consistent in my classes, and continue working toward my educational goals. Access to something as basic as daily motivations may seem small, but for someone navigating mental health challenges while pursuing a degree, it makes a meaningful difference in my ability to succeed. Navigating between my education, work, and personal life is not an easy task as I have to make sure that I get everything in order as well as making sure my mental health is stable and on track and that can take days, weeks, months, even years to be exact. While I am not perfect, I try the best I can and just take one step at a time.

The major healthcare problem I am personally motivated to solve is the inequitable chronic disease progression caused by delayed risk detection. The reason for this is because conditions like diabetes and hypertension often worsen quietly, especially in lower-income or underinsured populations. By the time complications appear, treatment becomes expensive and outcomes decline. I want to build a system that predicts escalating risk earlier and distributes preventive resources more fairly. Inspired by Mario Schlosser’s emphasis on data-driven healthcare and the concept of iterative risk propagation, I would model patient health as a network rather than isolated data points. In this framework, each patient is represented as a node, and connections represent shared risk factors such as socioeconomic status, geographic location, comorbidities, or similar lab trends. Risk is not static; it propagates through patterns. Let (R) represent a vector of patient risk scores and (A) represent a normalized adjacency matrix capturing relationships between patients. Iterative risk propagation can be modeled as: 1. [ R_{t+1} = \alpha A R_t + (1 - \alpha) b ] 2. where ( b ) is a baseline clinical risk vector and (\alpha \in (0,1) ) controls how much this influences the network effects. Over iterations, this converges toward an equilibrium like an eigenvector centrality solution: 1. [ R^* = \alpha A R^* + (1 - \alpha) b ] 2. This mirrors eigenvector methods: patients connected to high-risk clusters gain higher propagated risk scores even if their individual metrics appear borderline. This prevents silent escalation. A simplified prototype in Python might look like: 1. import numpy as np 2. 3. A = np.array([[0, 0.5, 0.5], 4. [0.5, 0, 0.5], 5. [0.5, 0.5, 0]]) 6. 7. b = np.array([0.3, 0.6, 0.4]) 8. alpha = 0.7 9. R = b.copy() 10. 11. for _ in range(50): 12. R = alpha * A.dot(R) + (1 - alpha) * b 13. 14. print(R) 15. This iterative update stabilizes toward a steady-state risk distribution. Patients embedded in high-risk communities receive elevated early-warning signals. To ensure insurance fairness, the model would exclude protected characteristics directly while still accounting for structural risk drivers through carefully audited features. Graph-based transparency allows regulators to inspect how influence flows rather than relying on opaque black-box predictions. The goal is equilibrium: a system where risk detection, resource allocation, and preventive care stabilize disparities instead of amplifying them. By combining eigenvector methods with compassionate design, healthcare prediction can move from reactive treatment to initiative-taking protection. That is how I would apply mathematical rigor to build a fairer and more resilient healthcare system — one that Mario Schlosser would recognize as both technically sound and mission-driven.

A time I relied on my Christianity to overcome a challenge was the passing of my mother this experience of losing a parent at a young age made me not only mature early but opened my eyes to the real world during this time. When you're a kid, you have a good childhood, going to school, and enjoy being a kid before you reach adulthood. For me, I had the opposite as I had to learn what death was at an early age and witness it with my own two eyes, explain to people why I can't visit my mother, and had my childhood taken away from me at an early age. Most people who never went through that kind of trauma and grief at that age and it's a foreign concept to them but the ones who went through that during childhood will understand, feel, and know my pain as I know their pain of losing someone at a young age. This made me realize at an early age that not only will my mother never attend my high school and college graduations, weddings, celebrations, but she will never be able to meet my future spouse, my future children, and her grandchildren because she is gone. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to her that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. I prayed to the Lord and still pray for peace and for courage. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship. I wish my mother was here to see how far I've come but at the same time, I know she is proud of me and I know she would've been proud of me as she is looking over me while she's at peace with God.

When I was 12 years old, my late mother passed away from heart disease in 2015 and this experience of losing a parent at a young age made me not only mature early but opened my eyes to the real world during this time. When you're a kid, you have a good childhood, going to school, and enjoy being a kid before you reach adulthood. For me, I had the opposite as I had to learn what death was at an early age and witness it with my own two eyes, explain to people why I can't visit my mother, and had my childhood taken away from me at an early age. Most people who never went through that kind of trauma and grief at that age and it's a foreign concept to them but the ones who went through that during childhood will understand, feel, and know my pain as I know their pain of losing someone at a young age. This made me realize at an early age that not only will my mother never attend my high school and college graduations, weddings, celebrations, but she will never be able to meet my future spouse, my future children, and her grandchildren because she is gone. There are times I wanted to drop out of high school and not move forward, but I made a promise to her that I would graduate high school and college before she passed a few months later. While growing up, this experience shaped my life into who I am today. As I graduated high school in 2021 and attend college and completing my lifetime goals and thriving, at the same time it honestly hurts and painful because there's times I needed her and ask her for help and there's times I wanted to give up and not continue my studies but I keep pushing forward to not only make myself proud but make her proud and keep my promise to continue my studies and succeed in life. This loss of a parent and the grief I had and still have to this day has continued to motivate me to reach my potential in my degrees and is willing to invest in my educational journey as I can move forward into graduating on time, all the while maintaining this scholarship. I wish my mother was here to see how far I've come but at the same time, I know she is proud of me and I know she would've been proud of me as she is looking over me while she's at peace.

I personally chosen to pursue a degree in STEM for Computer Science & Information Technology because my approach to problem solving is rooted in curiosity and persistence. I enjoy breaking complex problems into smaller parts, testing solutions, and learning from failure. STEM has taught me to think like both a creator and a protector — understanding how systems function while imagining how they might fail. This mindset encourages initiative-taking thinking and responsible innovation. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact as a person of color by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting sensitive data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology that people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, I hope to build solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer digital future. I want to use these skills to make a positive impact by helping organizations and communities stay safe in an increasingly digital world. Whether developing secure applications, protecting personal data, or educating others about online safety, I aim to contribute to technology people can trust. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility and technical knowledge, I hope to design solutions that strengthen security, empower users, and promote a safer, more connected future. Being in a STEM program is analyzing common security weaknesses, experimenting with code in controlled environments, and learning how small oversights in programming can lead to serious breaches. This firsthand exploration strengthened my coding skills while sharpening my ability to think critically, expecting risks, and developing preventative solutions. I became especially interested in how secure design principles can be built into software from the start rather than added later as a tool for knowledge. During this experience, I explored ethical hacking techniques and secure coding practices to better understand how systems can be protected from cyber threats. Rather than viewing hacking as destructive, I approached it as a problem-solving discipline focused on finding vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This will also enhance my learning-by-learning different techniques and ways how other countries across the world get their education in various ways. The STEM field is a good program and field to connect worldwide with different companies, schools, & businesses. My academic journey has reflected my growth, persistence, and an unwavering commitment to my goals, even when there were times that were difficult and obtained challenges.